Project S Book One
by proman232
Summary: Well, looks like we got another pile of shit to dig *FINAL CHPT UP*
1. Meetings over Scotch

Present Day...

The air was humid, yet thin, in the tavern on 14th street, Soleanna City. I took another drink, finishing the glass of bourbon. It had been three months since I emerged into this world. Actually, that's inaccurate. It wasn't another world, but another reality. One that was 5,000 years behind mine. 5,000 years of work, down the drain. But, I would adapt. I had been plying my trade as a daemon hunter, but since I had killed most of them, it wasn't paying very well.

So when the black hedgehog walked up to the bar, bought a bottle of scotch, and walked over with a pair of glasses, I knew I had a job. He sat down, poured himself a glass, and offered the other to me. I looked at him briefly before grabbing the bottle, and taking a long pull. He shrugged, and drank his own scotch. For a moment, we were silent, sizing each other up. I briefly considered drawing my P99, just in case. I decided against it. He was, after all, the world's Ultimate Lifeform. Taking him on seemed a little risky, since I knew nothing of his true power. Regardless,I kept my hand on my right leg, next to my holster.

"So, you're that guy who supposedly killed all those daemons, huh?"

"Depends. Who's askin'?"

"I'm here on behalf of a young lady, a little younger than you, who is in need of your services."

I decided not to comment on his remark about my age. Even though he was about 50 years, chronologically, 16 biologically, and thus could understand somewhat, he had no idea. Sure, I looked about 22 years old, but it was when I was 17 that everything changed.

"You know, I am the best. That means I don't come cheap."

"How much?"

"Are you sure she can afford me?"

He leaned forward. "_How much?"_

"$5,000 a day, plus expenses." Soleanna was about 9 kilometers off shore from Canada. It could be seen clearly from Vancouver Island. As such, the two currencies, the dollar and the ring, could be used interchangeably. I preferred dollars, since it was more liquid, and harder to trace.

"No problem."

"I also charge a down payment of $50,000." Ammunition was expensive.

"You serious?"

"Like I said, I don't come cheap."

He pulled a case I had not seen from under the table. I put my hand on my gun, ready to draw. He opened the case, and took out five stacks of hundred dollar bills. The bindings in each said $10,000. I let my hand drop. "Is this satisfactory?" I checked the bills, making sure it was all there. "It will do."

"Let's get the business out of the way. All financial transactions will occur through you. Even though I must meet the client, she cannot pay in person. Makes it harder to pin me."  
"What for?"  
"You wouldn't wanna know. Also, my work will not be interfered with at any point. I must be uninterrupted to ensure a successful study of the daemon in question. I also require lodgings near the client, so that I can be there quickly if she is attacked."

"Is that all?"  
"For now. More may come up, but I will inform you of anything as it becomes relevant."

"Good. I have already arranged for you to meet the client at the palace tomorrow at 3:00 PM. Wear something nice, if you have it." His gaze swept over my clothes. I was wearing a jumpsuit made of a synthetic armorweave fabric, lined with 1/4 inch thick steel plates, padded with kevlar. The hood, also lined with kevlar, and the cowl, were both down. I adjusted my sunglasses.

"I show up wearing what I show up wearing. Deal with it."

"Fine, but be there on time." He finished his drink, grabbed the case, stood up, and left. I watched him go, grabbed the bottle, drained it, picked up the money, and walked out. The bartender cleared his throat. He was pointing at the booth next to mine. The table was broken, and the seats were burned. I handed him $2,500. He cleared his throat again. He held up my bar tab. I gave him another $500. He nodded. I left, heading to the small apartment I used to stash my gear between jobs. I checked my watch. 8:00 PM. I had some work to do tonight. Wherever the black hedgehog was, the blue one wouldn't be far behind.


	2. A New Rival

**(Quick Author's Note:Most of this story will be told from the first person of the hero, but other perspectives will be in third person and written in **_italics._**)**

_Sonic ran through the streets of Soleanna, keeping an eye for any suspicious activity. He wasn't in a very good mood. After all, Shadow had to go behind his back and hire a daemon hunter to stop this thing. Did he not believe they were strong enough to handle it? Sure, it resisted his attacks, and Shadow's Chaos Spear didn't seem to do any damage. But, they could still find a way to defeat it. The whole thing left Sonic in a sour mood._

_Suddenly, he was snapped from his thoughts by a strange blur racing past. He put on the speed, struggling to keep up with the thing. "So, you're supposed to be the Fastest Thing Alive? Yeah, right." The blur raced ahead, but Sonic was already planning his next move. He cut down an alleyway, emerging onto another street in the path of the thing. He turned and ran, keeping even with the blur as it ran. He tried to get a good look at it. To his surprise, it appeared to be a human, though Sonic couldn't see his face clearly._

_Just then, the human darted to his left, and Sonic looked up and saw why. The next thing he knew, he was on his ass in a pile of fruit and splinters that was once a merchant's stall. He looked up and the human, wearing all black, was standing on a roof on the opposite side of the street. "I look forward to putting that title to the test. Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog." The human jumped off the roof into an alley, and sped off._

_"What was that?" Sonic sat for a moment, thinking about what just happened. He got to his feet, legs complaining, and decided that he had a new rival. The daemon hunter could wait. Sonic sped off, wondering where and when he would see the human again. _


	3. The Client

The palace was unusually clean. I felt put off by the amount of effort the maids must have put into their work. To me, if a space was dirty, it didn't matter, as long as it was only home to people, and not critters. Regardless, the dragoon led me to the chamber where the client was waiting. I assumed I was being hired to protect one of the ladies-in-waiting, but now I was having second thoughts. The dragoon, Captain Tyrell of the 43rd Royal Dragoon Brigade, was one of the personal guards to the princess. Why would he be escorting me if I was guarding a lesser person?

We stopped in front of a large double door padded with crimson velvet. I recognized this as a good deterrent for daemons, but I doubt anyone else did. "This is the place. I must warn you, she will not approve of your state of dress." I looked down at my clothes. I hadn't taken the jumpsuit off since yesterday. "Not my problem." I decided to put the hood down, but the cowl stayed up, and the glasses stayed on. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Wait here. I must announce you first." Captain Tyrell opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it. I could hear him faintly through the door. He returned, holding the door for me.

I stepped in, and the Captain closed the door. "Welcome to the Royal Palace of the country of Soleanna." The princess stood before the throne. "I am Elise, monarch of this land. Who are you, who would have an audience before the princess in such a state of dress?" The black hedgehog from the day before stood to one side. "My dress is my business. You may address me as Alex." The hedgehog stepped forward. "I told you, wear something nice." I scowled, unnoticeable beneath the cowl. "And I told you, I show up wearing what I show up wearing." "Gentlemen, enough. We have business to attend to."

"You're absolutely right, your majesty." The hedgehog, Shadow, had a blank face, but projected a very smug attitude. "Fine, let's get on with it. I take it you've been informed of the conditions?" I tapped the edge of my glasses, waking up LADA. "Yes." "Good. LADA, are you recording?"

"Who is LADA?"

"Legendary Artifact and Data Assistant. I spent time as a treasure hunter, and I acquired LADA for that purpose. She's and AI built into my glasses. I modified her for a wide range of uses. She helps with targeting, tracks vital signs and ammunition levels, and scans targets for information."

"Recording. Ready when you are."

"Ok, first, when did these attacks start?"

"About a month ago. I was in the royal bedchamber, signing some papers, when I heard a noise."  
"What kind of noise?" The noises made by a daemon often gave away its identity.

"A kind of hollow scraping of steel, almost like swords in the distance. But there were no soldiers training that day."

"What did you do then?"

"I got up and went to look, and when I did, I was jumped by a strange creature."  
"Describe it, if you can."

"It was lizard-like, with black scales, and claws that could shred armor. That's all can remember."  
"What happened next?"

"I screamed, and the thing pinned me to the floor. Just then, Shadow burst in, carrying a gun, followed by a platoon of soldiers."  
"I see." I turned to Shadow. "And what did you do?"  
"I opened fire on the thing, as did the soldiers behind me. We didn't seem to do anything to it, though. It then dissolved, but we could still feel a strange presence in the room afterward."

"Hmm, I see. LADA, any matches in the database?" LADA finished her scan. "Nope. But some the translated fragments of data show that there may be an entry on this one. Unfortunately, I can't seem to locate enough fragments to make a cohesive entry."

"Ok. That's all I need. I'm going to have to access the library, especially any restricted sections. There's a certain book I need to find to translate the fragments I have."  
"Done. I will show you to the library, and you will have a copy of each key by the end of the day."

"Have accommodations been secured?"

"Yes. You will be put up in the guest suites."  
"Actually, I was wondering what's at the top of that tower in the courtyard."

"It's the old royal bedchamber. It was put into disuse about sixty years ago."  
"Could I get inside?"  
"No. It's locked up from the inside."  
"No problem. I can scale the walls, and open it up. It would be better if I could stay up there. More private, so I can be uninterrupted."  
"Ok. I'll see to it that the maids go up to clean sometime. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll go to the library to find this book of yours."


	4. Of Books and Languages

The library was huge. It reminded me of the Universal Index, an attempt to chronicle every piece of knowledge in the known universe. It didn't quite work. Elise led me to a row of doors at the back of the library. "Beyond here, you will find the most closely guarded secrets held by the Crown of Soleanna. Hopefully, you should find the book you need." I took the key ring she held and opened the first door. "LADA, scan the books, see if there are any matches with the untranslated fragments." I could see a wave sweep over the shelves through my glasses. "Nope, nothing." The next three rooms were the same. As LADA scanned the fourth room, I began to wonder why Elise insisted on showing me the library herself.

"You know, you didn't have to come with me. I'm sure Captain Tyrell could have shown me the way." She cleared her throat. "Yes, but only members of the Royal Family are allowed to enter the restricted areas. I had to bend the rules to allow you to access these records." I knew she had lost her parents when she was young. "If that's the case, then how do the librarians keep track of the books in here?" "They don't. None have ever seen inside here. Every month it is my job to come here and make sure nothing's missing." That didn't seem like a job for royalty, much less the monarch of the country.

"Wait, got a match. Up there, left side, third row, fourth from the left." LADA highlighted the book in question. Elise moved to grab a ladder. "No, don't. I'll get it down." I jumped onto the shelf, gravity pulses from my boots keeping me anchored to the surface. I grabbed the book and jumped down. It was bound with parchment. I opened the book and saw the familiar words of the people of the ancient nation of Borogravia. "This is it. I've been looking for this book for a very long time." "What is it?" Elise peered over my shoulder. "I've never seen this writing before." "This is no ordinary book. It's the Folio Daemonia, an encyclopedia of every daemon ever known. It was started by the people of the nation of Borogravia over 9,000 years ago." She looked skeptical. "Can you translate it?" I read it again. I had opened to an entry on Drugral, the Fleshrender. "Don't need to," I flipped through the book, "I've already translated these first two sections."

I got to the third section. "Hmm, I can't understand this writing. It must be Third Age. The only Borogravian language yet to be entirely translated." "Is it possible to translate?" "No. The people of Borogravia created this language during the Third Age to confound their enemies. It ha no similarities to English, unlike the first two." "Is it similar to any other languages?" "I don't know. LADA, you got anything?" She scanned the letters on the page. "Yep. I see much similarity to the Mayan alphabet. I'm already making a translator key." "Good. I can translate from Mayan to English once that's done."

"Is that all you need?" "Yes. The entry I need to help you is probably in the third section. Once we open up that tower, I'll get to work immediately." "That's good. Let's go see about getting you inside then, shall we?" She led the way out of the room, locking it behind her. "I think there might be an old servant's entrance that wasn't locked up." We walked down the hallway. Behind us, I could hear the noise of feet moving _very_ fast.


	5. Encounter with Hell

The hedgehog held me in a telekinetic grip. He had taken my sword, and threw it into the wall. He also held the blue hedgehog in the same grip. "Well? I'm waiting." I opened my mouth to speak, but Sonic beat me to it. "That's the guy that attacked me last night." "I didn't attack anyone. You ran into a fruit stand all on your own. Not my fault." Elise stepped forward. "Silver, put them down. And give Alex his sword. Where did you get that thing, anyway?" I grabbed it. "I had it custom forged years ago. I can extend and retract the blade to aid in storage and transport."

"Forget the sword, it's time for round two, ya bastard. I'm still sore from last night." The other hedgehog, Silver, grabbed him again. "No. I shouldn't even be the one to pull you two apart. I just happened to be here with Blaze, and heard you two shouting. Now, if you two are done, I've gotta go." He put Sonic down, and walked off. "I should go, too, but I'll see you again." "I'm counting on it." He sped off.

"Now, how much farther to this service entrance?"

"Not far. We may need to pick the lock to get in." I took out my lock picks.

"No problem."

We walked up to an unassuming section of the wall. Elise pushed a brick, and the wall rotated, revealing a door on the other side. I walked up, and examined the lock. It hadn't been used in years. I took a small can of oil from a pocket, sprayed the lock, and proceeded to pick it. The lock gave way easily. I pulled the door open, drawing my P99 in the same motion with my other hand. "What's that for?" She looked nervous. "Did you hear something?" I looked at the gun. "No. Sorry. Just a reflex."

She sighed. "Good. For a moment there, I was worried we were gonna be ambushed by zombies or something." I had a flashback to my earlier experiments with time travel. I was in France, 1918. There were four other guys whose names I had never bothered to learn. A German, an American, a Japanese, and a Russian. Together, we slaughtered our way across a battlefield full of undead.

The whole flashback was set to Avenged Sevenfold. It was awesome.

"Don't say that. It reminds me of things I would rather forget." I could still smell the Russian's breath.

"Ok, as long as you put the gun away." I holstered the P99. We headed up the stairs part way, until she opened another hidden panel. "If you're the monarch, and this entrance is for servants, how do you know where all these hidden panels are?" "I used to play here when I was a little girl. It used to scare daddy when he learned about the places I had been through the day." She looked momentarily sad at the mention of her father. "You know, I may sound like a dick for saying this, but at least you have memories of your parents. All I have is fragments of thoughts too random to be called memories."

"Oh. I had no idea. I'm sorry." "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Let's get up there." We climbed into a dumbwaiter. I pulled on the rope, sending us to the top of the tower. I could still hear Avenged Sevenfold. "So, if you don't mind me asking, you look to be in your early twenties, correct?" I wasn't sure I wanted to answer the question. "Yeah..." "And you said you can't remember your parents. I'm no expert, but I think I'll be able to remember daddy in four years." "What's your point?" "My point is, how old are you, really?" I could see she was genuinely curious as to my real age. I sighed, and stopped pulling. "You seem trustworthy. If I tell you, you must swear upon your very life not to reveal my secret. Do you?" She didn't even hesitate. "Yes." "Ok." I removed my sunglasses and lowered my cowl. "I'm an immortal. I can never die, except by another immortal. I have been this way for 5,000 years. I can't say anything more, for your sake. No more questions." I continued pulling, and soon we reached the top.

I threw open the door, which opened into a stately bedroom, canopy bed against one wall, writing desk against another, various cabinets and decorations adorning the walls. There was dust everywhere. "This should do. I'll have to go to my apartment and pick up my weapon locker, and all my stuff. Only one thing missing." "What's that?" I looked around the room. "Do you see a liquor cabinet anywhere?" She looked slowly. "Yep, right there." I walked over. The weak bolt holding it shut snapped in my hand. I opened it. There was only a bottle of 70 year old brandy in the back. It tasted extremely strong. "Is it any good?" I handed her the bottle. She took a sip and her face twisted. "EWW, that is disgusting! How can you enjoy this?!" I chuckled. " I like my liquor strong. Also, you can expect a _massive_ hangover tomorrow morning."

The air grew cold. I stopped. "Something's here." I put up my hood and cowl, and put on my sunglasses. "LADA, how's the translating going?" "Done." I drew the P99. I stopped turning. Then, I saw it. I shoved Elise to the floor, took aim, and fired. It did no damage. Elise ran to the door in the wall. She tried to open the lock. I turned and shot it. She ran through, slamming the door. The daemon's bladed tail nearly took my head off. "LADA, scan it!" I watched the progress bar fill quickly. "Got a match. Bohk Shu'Rahna, the Stalker. Target can manipulate it's physical form to limited effect. This allows it to phase small objects through itself, meaning guns are useless. Stick to your sword." I drew the blade, and swung in a dead flat sweep as stomach height. It ducked, and I angled the sword down, severing it's tail as it moved.

The thing looked bewildered. I took the opportunity, stabbing it through the back. It fell. I turned to the tail. "Well. That was easy." I walked over to the tail. I heard something moving behind me.


	6. Another Beginning

_Elise stood outside the door, waiting for the footsteps to get there, and the fighting to stop inside. Shadow was the first to the top, followed by Sonic, Silver, and a platoon of royal guards. Shadow loaded his weapon. "We heard shots. What happened." "We were looking around, and it showed up. He tried to fight it, and I ran. I think he got it." Shadow looked doubtful. "We'll see. I'll take point. Smith, take tails. Cover formatio-" More shots were fired behind the door, followed by an impact against the wall. The group burst in, weapons raised._

"You just missed him." One of the soldiers helped me up. "It took off through that balcony." Sonic was ready to go. "We'll go after it." "No point, it can dissolve its form at any time. Besides, better to let it think it's won." I looked at the beast's severed tail. "With this, we should be able to find out if it's weak to anything. I need someone who can perform an autopsy." Sonic stepped up. "No problem. Tails can handle that." He moved to grab the tail. "No! Don't touch it. It has an aura that can poison your very soul. Let me handle it." "How?" I pulled my sleeve down, showing everyone my tattoo. "The Pentagram of Protection, tattooed in Dead Man's Blood. Makes me immune to daemonic auras." I grabbed the tail. "We'll need a biohazard unit to handle it." The platoon CO lowered his weapon. "Don't worry, our suits allow us to handle biohazardous materials. I'll take it." I handed it to him. "Fine, but if you feel anything wrong, no matter how slight, let me know. I can purify you."

He took the tail, and he and his men headed back out. I grabbed the bottle of brandy, still intact, and took a drink. "Well, I guess that's that." "Hold on." Sonic tapped his foot. "Where do you get off, challenging me, then turning all good samaritan and fighting daemons?" I put down the bottle. "I do what I want. I wanted to challenge you, and now I want to kill that thing. It's not up to you how I live my life. You don't like it, then fuck off." I grabbed the bottle, took a drink, and he left, as did the other two hedgehogs. Behind me, I heard Elise gasp. "You've been hit." She ran up as I quickly lost balance. "Warning. Massive blood loss detected. Medical treatment recommended. Translation: Get your ass to a hospital, quickly." I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, tips. What would I do without you?" Elise helped me up, guided me to the stairs, and helped me to the infirmary.

As I lay in the hospital bed that night, I though about the events of the last two days. I knew something was about to unfold, but what was my role in it? And could I break it this time? How much longer until I was free? Such questions could wait, though. I realized that I had much bigger problems ahead.

**_END OF BOOK_ _ONE_**


	7. Author's Notes

Jan 1/14 8:33 PM:So, here we are. The first Author's Notes. Well, I have nothing to say right now, but I'll probably update this document after I write the next chapter. Until then, um, do, um, something.

Jan 2/14 12:09 PM:Well, there's the second chapter up. In the next chapter, we learn a little more about the mysterious hunter from the bar, and about the client he's been hired to protect. Might be uploaded today, but don't expect anything. I have to be at work from 2:30 until half past 10 tonight.

Jan 3/14 2:43 PM: Here's the third chapter. I was planning on having it done earlier today, but since I didn't have to go to work (damn you, Saskatchewan winters), I decided to hold off for a bit. I may just have the fourth chapter up today, too.

Jan 3/14 5:03 PM: Ok, here's the fourth chapter. I got really bored at home, so I decided to write this. Don't know if  
I'll write the fifth chapter today, but I do know that I'm glad I didn't go to work today. The weather may be clearing  
now, but who's to say what it'll be like at 10:30 PM?

Jan 5/14 1:25 AM: Wow, that took a while to get to. I would have done it sooner, but by buddy tempted me away with an all-day Zombies marathon. Fun fact, I was listening to Shepherd of Fire as I wrote this. Also, _Origins_ is the greatest Zombies map ever. Why? Because fuck you, I'm Spiderman.

Jan 5/14 6:07 PM: Well, that's the end of this book. Keep an eye for book two of this first saga.


End file.
